Tag: Wrap-up

As the last few weeks of August near, the Ohio State campus becomes busy again as students return for a new year. And just like that, another summer has come and gone!

During the final days of my internship at Cardinal Health, the whirlwind of project wrap-up, final presentation prep, and full-time interviews all caused me to stop and think about my summer experience. It’s easy to notice if you like coming to work every day, but going a bit deeper may be useful in your future career search.

Here are a few questions worth pondering:

Do I like the work I am doing?

Think about the technical aspects of your summer job. An internship is a great way to get a glimpse of how skills transfer from classroom to workplace. If you didn’t love your summer work, what would make it better? For example, I really enjoyed the writing aspect of my intern role but would have liked to see more data analytics incorporated. Use this insight when evaluating future positions.

Do I like the company where I am working?

It’s often hard to describe company culture until you have lived it. After working for a company over the summer, did you identify with the core values? As my internship progressed, I was able to pinpoint certain things about Cardinal Health that I really appreciated. For example, other employees were highly open to networking, which helped me build a strong network and learn about the company.

Do I like the city I am working in?

Location is key! Enjoying your job is important, but what do you do outside of work? I have been at Ohio State for three years, but this was my first summer living in Columbus without the responsibilities of classwork. It was a completely different experience! I finally got to explore the city—museums, parks, plenty of new restaurants—which made it easier to imagine living here with a full-time job after graduation.

What did I learn in this position?

When you add a job or internship to your resume, what are your bullet points? This doesn’t have to be anything formal, but it can be useful to write down all of the accomplishments or tasks completed during an internship. Think about the technical skills, such as learning a new software program or understanding an operational process. Don’t forget the soft skills too; if you frequently worked on teams during your job, make sure to use those new or improved skills in classes with group work.